VANCOUVER, Dec. 14, 2012 /CNW/ - The Ridley Terminals Users Group, a
collective of major resource producers which are current or future
customers of Ridley Terminals Inc. in Prince Rupert, British Columbia,
supports the federal government's decision to sell the terminal.
Ridley Terminals is a critical component of the Western Canadian export
logistics chain and a key enabler of delivering Canadian resource
products to international markets. As such, the Ridley Terminals Users
Group welcomes the Government of Canada's announcement that it intends
to divest the terminal to a buyer that will operate it with open access
on a long-term sustainable basis. An open access model whereby rates
are set to motivate sustainable throughput is critical in ensuring that
all existing and potential shippers can successfully operate and
develop current and future mining assets.

"Our group's members, representing world-class global mining and
terminal operatorship experience, remain committed to a fully-optimized
Ridley Terminals which is commercially operated with open access for
all shippers", said Doug Smith, Chair, Ridley Terminals Users Group.
"We applaud the Government of Canada for recognizing that the terminal
is a key driver of mine development in northern communities and that a
sale to a single operator driven only by price-setting objectives will
undermine this potential. A fully-enabled Ridley Terminals will ensure
the long-term viability of the asset, for the benefit of the Western
Canadian coal market and, related, local communities and economies
throughout British Columbia and Alberta. The Ridley Terminals Users
Group looks forward to the planned divestiture process."

About the Ridley Terminals Users Group

The Ridley Terminals Users Group (RTUG) is an incorporated legal entity
comprised of many of the largest commodity producers and shippers in
Western Canada who are current or future customers of Ridley
Terminals. RTUG's current members include (in alphabetical order) Arch
Coal, Coal Valley Resources, Grande Cache Coal, Peace River Coal (an
Anglo American PLC company), Teck, Walter Energy and Xstrata Coal.
RTUG's members represent an employee base of over 4,000 people
throughout British Columbia and Alberta and are significant
contributors to and investors in these local economies.